Evening capital., 1887-03-12
ANNAPOLIS. MD, SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH II, 1887
TEACHING DOGS TO HUNT.
Some Valuable Hints from Trainer witt
Regard 70 the Breaking OF SpanIels.

LlACAG anu DOiliI anu 1OI 2ttCldk cIOAN-
ing services is a regular science, says
the New York Mail and Express, and rs
much care has to be devoted to it as to
the management of young and valua-
BILE horses. A dog trainer was seen re-
Gently by reporter and he explained
the whole process. He said the work
of field and covert spanicls differs but
slightly, and therefore the general
breaking will apply to both. If a
spaniel is intended to retrieve, the very
first lessons given to him when he is
young should be to teach him to carry.
Some people break a spaniel on game
first and expect them to take naturally
to retrieving in after-life. Some dogs
do, but many do not, and even the
few who do work very badly in that re-
spect, generally mouthing their game
dreadfully, and not infrequently bring
ing it to hand in woeful state, rem
dering it unfit for the table. Yet some
men call that dog retrieving spaniel.
Il have often had fifty spaniels sent
to my kennels on trial, said the train
er, land but half a dozen or so were
fair retrievers. The least said about
the others the better. / shall tell you
fully about teaching to retrieve, be-
cause it is Il special branch of canine
education, and it will require some-
what lengthy explanation. When con-
firmed in not getting away from the
eve of the master, and it is surprising
to note how well-broken spaniels nj
ways keep their eyes on the gun, the
young dog should be entered to fur
and the best plan that know is. to
have lot of rabbits let loose in front
of him by confederate, but the dog
must have the check-rope on, as he is
sure to try to have a 60 ut them soon
er or later. A gun may also be fired
now and then to see if the double temp
tation of fire and gun will lead him
astray. Practically, however, not one
covert spaniel in a thousand drops to
gun and fire. Most people are very
well satisfied if the dog simply desists
from going more than yard or two,
or if he stands still when the gun is
fired. / have seen some of the best
dogs in covert, and / have never OBJ
served anything of the sort. 1t should
be borne in mind that it does not mat
ter what the breed or size of the dogs
may be, breaking them perfectly takes
just as much trouble. All! if broken
dogs were only sold by the yard, or by
the square inch, then | could under
stand that u pointer or setter should
fetch more money than climber or a
Sussex, and especially cocker. But
they are not SO sold and as matter of
fact it would take just as long to teach
a cocker to drop to hand, wing, fire,
and shoot, as it would to train the big
gest pointer or setter that ever ran.
Therefore, why there should be such
discrepancy in their prices, and in the
estimation in which they. are generally
held, is one of those things which no
one can understand. | know some
men who will readily give 500 and
5000 and more for Ii good pointer and
setter, who viii not give SO or SIS for
a cocker, and expect him To do every
thing but talk, as the saying is.
Il should strongly impress spaniel
breakers with the absolute desirability
of having the dogs perfectly secured in
their kennels. /. If spaniels get loose
and start on hunt by themselves
when they are young. they acquire such
vile habits as will never be thoroughly
eradicated. They will hunt after rab-
bits, chase them to ground, yapping
all the while, and alto gether WIN get SO
fearfully and pleasurably excited rs to
long for further editions of the same at
any opportunity. A self-hunting spaniel
is an awful adomination, and anyone
may take it for granted that he acquir-
ed the habit through neglect and being
allowed his liberty. somehow. without
anyone watching his conduct. Spaniels
IN covert should not notice far. i.at
should only drive for five or six yards.
And here comes the question, should q
spaniel be mute? / say he should not
be quite mute, but he should not keep
on giving tongue / like a dog to first
open when he finds and put up, and
that is all. A dog ti.;.t gives tongue
noisily and persistentiy is useless, but
one absolutely mate in 4 covert will
not make you have al the fun and
sport you ought to have. like dog
to give me warning if possible, and
fail 10 see, as some men assert, that it
drives al game away It is simply
nonsense have often in the woods
shot seven or eight pheasants within a
square Of, say, fifty or sixty yards in
furze and fern brakes, and they were
put up one after tie other by brace
Of cookers. who called out when they
found them, and pnt thcm mp. Then
II dogs voices are SO disturbing To
game, IS sonic people would make ms